Monday 2 June 2014

Lemon Blueberry Bread


Saw some 'Quick Bread' recipes in Joy of Baking Read through and was wondering why no dry active yeast added as in most bread recipes I've come across. Google search some information and found out that Quick breads are breads that are prepared with leavening such as baking soda or powder, rather than yeast. As a result, the bread does not have a long proofing and rising time, like yeast breads. 

Decided to bake this for brekkie as I've got 2 packs of blueberries (bought on special offered price 2 for $XX in supermarket). I forgo the lemon glaze. Both my big kids made almost the same comments :
"the cake tasted good,  got lemon ... but too much blueberries and it doesn't taste like bread". 
Both didn't quite like blueberries ... they preferred banana. But still, they each took 2 slices for breakfast.

I love the sweet & juicy blueberries, moist texture with lemon & butter fragrance ... it tasted more like a pound cake actually. 

Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking with slight modification made in blue adjusted to our taste. 

Lemon Blueberry Bread Recipe:
Ingredients (Makes 1 loaf : loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm).
195 grams all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of the lemon)
240 ml fresh blueberries
113 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
150 grams granulated white sugar (90g caster sugar)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
120 ml milk

Lemon Glaze:
2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 180 degree° C and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan (9 x 5 x 3 inch) (23 x 13 x 8 cm).

2) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest. 

Remove 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Place the blueberries in a separate bowl and toss the berries with the 1 tablespoon flour (this will help prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking.)

3) In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

4) Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries.

5) Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Lemon Glaze: In a small microwaveable bowl, stir the sugar with the lemon juice. Place in the microwave for about 20 seconds or just until sugar has dissolved.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Pierce the top of the hot loaf with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then brush with the hot lemon glaze. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. This bread is best served on the day it is made, but it can be stored several days or frozen.






14 comments:

  1. Hi, Karen! This doesn't look like bread to me, I can see that it has very fine texture! The blueberry selling in
    Malaysia is expensive, so, let me have 2 pcs for breakfast ^_^

    Thanks for the link up!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee hee, not cheap over here either, that's why I buy when there's offer. Hmm ... I must try baking real bread
      ^-^

      Delete
  2. Hi Karen! I love blueberries! Like what Jozelyn said, it is very expensive over here. Like eating gold hah..hah...I guess a quick bread is pretty much like a cake or muffins. Whatever it is, bread or cake, I love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha .. ya we like to 'eat gold' .. it's about time for me to attempt some easy bread recipe ... real bread.

      Delete
  3. Hi Karen,

    Your kids didn't like blueberries but banana... but blueberries more ah task leh :p Nevermind, this means that you will have more yummy cake to enjoy :D

    Zoe

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hee hee ... Ya mom get to have more blueberries when they dig some out from cake ... anyway think I should try to bake some real bread ! Thanks for dropping by.

      Delete
  4. Hi Karen, I love all type of berries. Next time if you kids didn't want to the berries, keep some for me :D

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Ann, surely glad to ^-^ and thanks for dropping by.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Karen, recently i bought 2 pack of blueberries at special price too. Great deal ya :)
    This quick bread taste like cake or kuih?
    I bake bread very often but never try quick bread before. Wonder how its taste like :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It tasted more like cake to me...soft & moist .. not like bread texture which is drier, soft and fluffy.

      Delete
  7. Karen, like Ann, I'm a fan of all kinds of berries. Love this type of bread!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Jessie, oh yes me 2 ^-^ I love baking cakes with some berries and scones with dried cranberries! Thanks for visiting!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Karen,
    I love this kind of berries cake too. Hehe! I am like Jozelyn this looks more a cake then bread to me.
    Thanks for sharing this to LTU!
    mui

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Mui, ya it tasted more like cake than bread ... must find time to try out some basic bread baking ^-^.

      Delete

Sharing some of my favourite recipes, some new baking/cooking "adventures". Please feel free to post your comments for my improvement. Would be great to connect with you and learn some of your recipes too. Thanks for 'dropping by'.